We have always hunted public water in ETX and NTX. This year, we traded in our CenTex deer lease for a waterfowl lease in NTX. Mind you we are not wearing them out, but it is so nice to drive up and set up on proven water without the worry of competing for a public spot. I think I'm officially getting old.

We still hunt public, but it is nice to have a weekend sure thing.

Anyone it there doing the same?

You are not getting old, you are getting smart.
I had some terrific hunts public during the week. But the weekends? Oh my.

There is just not enough public places in north texas, and the oil/gas business screws everything up. Heck they even had 7 earthquackes in azle the last 2 days...fracking anybody?

I hunt private for the relaxation, and public for the adventure.

Only water fowl I've ever hunted is public. Bet it is nice to have a private spot.

So nice to roll up to my place 30 min before LST, chunk out my dekes, park the truck and walk 50 yds to the blind and shoot a strap of birds. I don't really do public down here. I'd like to keep waterfowling a relaxing activity. Michigan is a different story, just way more places to hunt.

No, its like shooting deer at a feeder. I wont waste a dime on pot shooting private ponds next year. The quality of ducks goes way up on public land and the number in the bag doesn't suffer much. Its nice for the duck salesman to get your easy 6 but not much sport to it. im sure other more experienced guys will disagree with me.

Just what does the oil company have to do with public or private Dutchman?

I'm too old to fight public. I roll out of bed, grab the coffee and honey bun and calmly drive to my lease 20 minutes away. No rush,no worries, no Barneys.

Im so glad in less than one full season in your career as a duck hunter you have mastered all things duck hunting. You should have a TV show or book to share all your knowledge of all things waterfowl that you now have mastered in such short time. You are like a duck hunting wonder!!

Thanks Captn J, hows sales going?? I bet they are lining up to buy them duckies.

I'd hardly call it "pot shooting". Interested to know how ducks that fly into a public spread are harder to hit? Or maybe its just the fact that you're competing with everyone else? Duck salesman... never heard that one before.

This is my first year on a lease. My numbers are way higher in this first split, than all of last season. It's awesome to be able to show up with only enough time to throw out dekes and have a cup of coffee. Plus you know how long your spot has been rested. No jackwagons to deal with. It's really nice.

There is definitely something to be said about fighting a crowd and taking a limit off public, but private sho is nice.

Rooster, your almost as full of it as the beav....almost.

My luck just hasn't been any better on private. We hunt public and do well comparatively. I'm just finding out that I like the challenge more. They aren't harder to hit but I personally feel a bigger sense of achievement on public. I see the attraction and spent a lot of $$ hunting private for this season but my favorite hunts have been with a few friends on public land so far. Not sure what else to call guides that set you on a baited pothole out at the farm...no offense intended, we all sell something for a living.

They key is to pick up a handful of private spots to rotate in with public. Private on weekends, public in the week.

Oh and the art of knocking on doors is still alive! Got permission to hunt a pond from a guy we never met yesterday. Duck city son!

Nice. So your guides in Parker county that you duck hunted with baited??? WOW!!!!

Depends on where you live and quality of public. It is just like growing big bucks to me.....plant the plots and they will come!

no sir, they are as reputable as you

People with private work just as hard as hunting public so the sense of achievement is the same IMO. You don't just walk up on a tank and shoot, you build blinds, scout your tank, plant millet, etc.... You still have to work as hard for private as you do for public. I have and hunt both and have had great hunts on both.

Interesting perspective Rooster. I can't say I agree with you. I get the sense of accomplishment thing, but I get the same sense of accomplishment from working on my property and creating habitat (read: not dumping a truckload of corn in a pond) and love the fact that I don't have to fight with people to enjoy it. You don't just get to do that with public land. Sounds like you've been hunting with some pretty shotty guides if thats what your view on them is. You might have a different opinion if you walked a mile in their shoes.

I can say that every guide I've hunted with worked hard...so the clients don't have to.

Then why guides and bait in same sentence? Kind of weird you say that

I'll refute the "baited hole" comment. As far as guides I've dealt with, they all work hard. Jeff, you did more to assure a good dove lease than most anyone I have met, Dan has put me in front of more birds than anyone and the Tech boys work their azz off to make it happen. Ive just come to realize its not what I am wanting. I like the challenge of beating public land and all it brings. I did it last year and its what got me addicted to this. Its a forum, I gave my opinion on Public or Private.

The same ducks are flying private or public.
We can show you some horrible private places right now, where you have to try out all tricks in your bag to get them in. (Excluding bait of course)

I love public and agree with above comments, just don't like the crowds and barneys skyblasting and overcalling.

And public is no longer first come first serve.

Seen many topwaters setting up 50 yards away from you right at lst and skyblast and
overcalling. It sucks, its not challenging, its rude, selfish and annoying

One day i will buy my own place and put a sign at the gate that will read:

Public hunting only
Tresspassers will be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law.

That way i will feel better

exactly.

The few times I've hunted private this year, it was nice not having to worry about someone setting up close, skyblasting, overcalling, etc. Private land doesn't guarantee a limit, that's for sure. Like someone said before, private land is good for relaxing.

I've hunted public all my life for various game, and have loved it. I like having options open, where I could hunt a different spot every day of the season if I was inclined to. There's a sense of accomplishment when you take an animal as a result of your hard work and scouting.

I have a couple of leases that would drive you to drink, but it is nice when the season wears on to not deal with some camo clad, black hoodie wearing, magazine cover wanna be.

It is also nice to see 100's of birds in the air circling wanting to land, picking out quality birds to eat, sharing time with the kids and not having to worry about some 1yr wonder(not you 1yr, the rookies) ruining it for them.

I'll take a private place over any public hot spot anyday.